Air New Zealand's new Antartic safety video gets frosty reception

Air New Zealand's inflight safety videos have historically been a way to mix humour into the critical info, but their latest one has taken a decidedly different tone.

It's also been fraught with controversy ahead of its release.

The new video, released today, takes place in Antarctica. Thirty-nine years ago this year, the continent was the site of what remains New Zealand's worst aviation disaster, when an Air New Zealand sight-seeing flight crashed into the side of Mt Erebus and killed all on board.

The crash site itself is avoided in the video, which instead showcases the beautiful scenery and the science work being done on the ice. It features penguins and seals as well as scientists - and Entourage's Adrian Grenier also stars in it.

It's not the first time one of their videos has had a frosty reception. In 2014, there was public fury after the safety video featured several scantily clad swimsuit models from US magazine Sports Illustrated.

Air New Zealand also helps fund science and research on the isolated continent, and is partnered with Antarctica New Zealand and the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute.